George franklin



(No Model.)

G. P. ELLIS. HAND REST FOR PEN-MEN.

Patented July 1,- 1890.;

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GEORGE FRANKLIN ELLIS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

HAN D-REST FOR PENMEN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 431,258, dated July 1, 1 890. Application filed February 3, 1890- Serial No. 338,961. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE FRANKLIN ELLIS, of New York city, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Hand-Rest for Penmen, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention has for its object the production of an elastic cushion or rest to be ap plied to that portion of the hand near the wrist which a penman in writing with a pen held by said hand comes down upon or approximates contact with the paper, whereby the muscles of the arm, are relieved of the Weight of the hand, chafing of the hand is avoided as it travels over the paper, and a general freedom of action and elastic hold and pressure of the pen on the paper are secured, thus facilitating the freedom of writing.

The invent-ion consists in anovel construction of the device for the purpose above named, substantiallyas hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both of the figures.

Figure 1 isa view in perspective of a device embodying my invention applied to the hand, which is shown as carrying a pen in position for writing; and Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a modified construction of such device, with the hand to which it is applied and the pen represented by dotted lines.

Referring in the first instance to Fig. 1 of the drawings, A is an elastic cushion applied to that portion of the penmans hand B which comes down upon or approximates contact with the paper as the pen 0, held by said hand, is employed in writing or figuring. This cushion A is preferably constructed of a spring-wire coil tapering downward or out ward, so as to rest with its smallest end on the paper, and the same wire I) of which it is made is extended and bent above to encircle and form a clasp or holder having a single upper free end for the hand, whereby the cushion or rest A is held in place on what may be termed the pivotal point of the pen= Inans hand and wrist, which, under ordinary circumstances, naturally touches the surface of the paper upon which he is writing. This hand-clasping portion of the device is bent so as to pass round or over the back of the hand and its single free end passed round the ball of the thumb to and between the thumb and first finger toward the back of the hand again, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

The end of the coil or cushion A is flattened down, or may be provided with a button 0 at its extremity, to reduce friction upon and facilitate its movement over the paper when writing. The wire I) also, or at least that portion of it which clips the hand, may have a soft and flexible sheathing-such as a piece of rubber tube (Z, for instance-the same forming a pad to prevent the wire from directly coming in contact with or cutting the hand and securing a soft or gentle pressure of the holderon the hand.

Fig. 2 shows substantially the same construction, the wire I) being similarly applied to the hand to secure the elastic cushion thereto 5 but instead of the tubular sheathing used to prevent the wire from cutting the hand independent pads (Z (Z, formed of soft pieces of leather or other material, are strung upon the Wire through eyes on their backs and made capable of being slid along the wire and of adjusting themselves to occupy positions on the hand where their efiiciency to relieve pressure of the wire on the hand will be mos available.

The whole device is readily removed from the hand when not required by springing and releasing the extended portion of the wire which forms the holder from its grip or hold upon the hand.

An elastic hand-rest carried by the hand and arranged. to bear upon the paper, as described, will greatly relieve the labor of a penman in writing, prevent all chafing of the hand by contact with the paper, and give greater fluency and elasticity to the pen as the same is traveled over the paper.

This invention essentially differs from a penmans arm supporter or rest of composite construction, having two upper free ends and made to fit the arm above the wrist and a little below the elbow-joint, and provided beneath with an elastic wire rest or support for the arm, which device lacks to give the neoessary support to the hand itself, as my hand rest or support does, and is liable to move on the arm or up and along with the sleeve, or else must be set so firmly on the arm as to endanger temporary paralysis of that memher at least. On the contrary, constructed, as my device is, to be applied to the hand itself, With the spring-support at the pivotal point of the penmans' hand and wrist, the hand is effectually released from all its disabilities of weight and is enabled to grasp the pen more firmly and to hold it more gracefully, and from its increased flexibility of motion to execute a smoother, stronger, and more elegant style of writing, while at the same time the nerves are gaining rest to enable the penman to accomplish a given amount of work with a largely-reduced expenditure of physical exertion.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A hand-rest for penmen, composed of a lower elastic cushion and an upward continuous bent spring-wire extension forming a holder for the cushion, said continuous ex-' tension being constructed to pass around or over the back of the hand from its one side and under and up over the hand from its reverse side between the thumb and forefinger thereof, as set forth.

' 2. A hand-rest for penmen, composed of a lower tapering elastic wire cushion in coil form, an upward continuous bent spring-wire extension or holder for application to the hand of the wearer, as described, and one or more soft and elastic pads applied to said extension or holder, as and for the purposes herein set forth.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a handrest for penmen constructed of a continuous piece of bent spring-wire constructed to form a tapering coil-shaped elastic lower cushion, and a spring holder or clasp bent to pass around or over the back of the hand fromits one side and under and up over the hand from its reverse side between the thumb and forefinger thereof, as specified.

GEORGE FRANKLIN ELLIS.

Witnesses:

EDw. M. CLARK, EDGAR TATE. 

